


Fix The Damn AC Unit

by candidshot



Series: stories from an alternate universe [28]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: A summer story, AU, Alec hates Magnus, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Animals, Co-workers, Dirty Dancing, Dreams and Nightmares, Fireworks, M/M, Magnus is like ticks, More Tags to be added but Tags are spoilers so I won't be using many, Orinoco, Peru, THEY SWITCH !, Wildlife
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:21:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24507571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/candidshot/pseuds/candidshot
Summary: Ever since Alec found out he could fuck the daylight out of another man and vice versa, he has been restless having wet dreams like a virgin teen.chap: 12/12 - The Flamingo Can DanceWhen Alec woke up, his leg was useless and Magnus's arm crushed.In the end, they strategised a way to have sex with the windows wide open while the door bell is ringing.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: stories from an alternate universe [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/812610
Comments: 114
Kudos: 187





	1. wet dreams like a virgin teen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec wakes up sweating. In the heat of summer his AC unit is broken and continuously dreaming about Magnus, doesn't help.

A Broken AC unit at the start of June.

Alec wakes up sweating. His hair sticking to his forehead, his naked body wrapped in a battle with sheets, glistens with restlessness. He inhales deeply, looks up at the air conditioner that's making nothing but irritable noise and he sighs.

Kicking the sheets off him and stretching across the bed to air himself out, he sighs again, his Adam's apple moving up and down as he swallows the nightmare that must've been the heat's fault.

Turning on his side, he checks the time on his phone and lets out yet another mumble of frustration... it's hot and sticky and suffocating but he doesn't want to leave his bed. 

His wake-up alarm finally goes off and reluctantly, he sits up in bed watching sweat cling and drip from the hair on his chest.

Staring at himself in the mirror across from his bed, his conscience tells him that it really wouldn't be right for him to call in sick... yet again.

Five minutes later, cold water from the shower scares away the nightmare from his body: his fingertips, his lips, his tongue... the whole of him trembling as though naked outside in the autumn chill.

Under the cold shower, he becomes hot, reaching boiling point at remembering how he was—

And watching his naked self in the mirror getting excited without his permission, Alec sighs again, shuts off the shower and buckles up for his day.

Though in the middle of him getting dressed, be it reality or mind over matter he somehow starts to feel cooler, swiftly turns around and looks up, checking if the AC finally decides to bail him out of his hell on earth misery...

Because who knows?

If the world had ever loved him then perhaps even before summer ends, he won't be needing to spend money fixing the AC unit and so with a smile, the day ahead looks promising.

.

But then he arrives at work and first thing, he meets eye to eye with his chaos— a man whose beauty rivals pristine seas and butterflies hovering in mountains:

Magnus Bane.

"Good morning, Alexander."

Magnus's smile, a crime.

Alec really hates this man.

_\---_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an idea I've been brewing for a bit! Do let me know your thoughts as/if you read along XD


	2. gay but not happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is having a hard time believing Magnus is real and he's annoyed by it.

Alec has been caught by a troublesome man. Troublesome and colourful and even dubbed himself, freewheeling. Magnus is troublesome yet innocent and the way he excites Alec makes Alec hate him all the more.

"Morning", Alec replies, adjusting his uniform, daring not keep longer eye contact than needing to.

But this Magnus guy has clearly never heard of social distancing so he goes up to Alec, leans against the locker, smiles and says, "We're on the same shift today".

It's the way he'd said it, like a grand revelation that would save the day while in truth, Alec stiffens, feeling his heart swimming towards his throat as Magnus dangles the day's schedule before him... Alec, bites down on his tongue, his fists tightly rolled into his right palms and as if words can cut he snaps, "No need to be so close".

The day would be fine. As long as they never meet alone then Alec would be fine and besides, he refuses to believe life would tempt him—

"So aren't we going to talk about it?" Magnus out of nowhere pops up, applying hemp scented gloss to his already fully moisturised lips, "I don't regret it".

Alec swallows, his tongue slipping out and following the movement of Magnus's lips, "Good for you".

And at this, Magnus only smiles, his legs crossed and his chest high and the 'I know your secret' splattered all over his countenance. Everything about Magnus appears wrong, Alec finds. Magnus is too beautiful, too touchable, too pinchable, too kissable... too lovable. His lips. His eyes. His buttocks, the way he looks at Alec and smiles... the way he helps all in need then stays back late to catch up on his own work... all this he would do without malaise and still finds time to arouse Alec. "I would say good for you, too".

Internally, Alec screams, "I have no idea what you're talking about".

Magnus makes a teasing scoff, "I don't mind reminding you", and he's spinning left to right on his heels, his grin more around his eyes than his lips.

A breath, secretive and calculating hitches in Alec's throat, "Not interested".

"Are you sure?" Magnus leans in, the scent of verbena and basil rose temptingly from his lips.

And so, it doesn't take long for Alec's appetite to grow and before he could stop himself he's already meeting Magnus eye to eye again much longer than he wants to brave and at the same time melting and turning fool when with a smile, Magnus winks at him... just that before suddenly, his memory of last week's evening comes home back to him.

Squelching sounds.

Crescendo moans.

Painted nails gripping into his skin.

The taste of prosecco and whiskey in their kiss.

Ever since Alec found out he could fuck the daylight out of another man and vice versa, he has been restless having wet dreams like a virgin teen.

It's confirmed.

He's gay as fuck.

He's gay but not happy.

_\---_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, I know. This chapter was short and I'm annoying 😅 
> 
> Anyhow! if you're still reading let me know what you think XD


	3. a praying mantis sorta sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With nowhere else to turn, Alec talks about his recent sex drive and whatnot with Isabelle. He also happens to think he's a boring man undeserving of a human.

"Love can break your heart", Alec twists the lid off the beer and hands it to Isabelle, "But if you're a male praying mantis, it can literally eat you alive".  


Isabelle looks up at him, her forehead in a wrinkle and her eyes slowly narrowing, "Should I be worried?" 

"About the male praying mantis?" Alec asks with the quirk of an eyebrow, "No use. It's going to get eaten, anyway". 

She takes the beer, nods slowly and contemplatively before saying, "Then should I just worry about you?" 

Alec hums a thinking note raising his own beer to his lips, "But what if there are two males?" 

For a second there, Isabelle's eyebrows actually flare in amusement, her cheeks puffy with a grin, "You mean like, a threesome?" 

Alec puts his beer to the side, turns around to face her and looks pointedly in her eyes, "A male on male twosome",  Alec finishes the sentence then holding his breath, watching every change of expression reflecting across Isabelle's face. 

The truth is, it's not like he expects her to turn ugly and verbally scorn him, but what he doesn't expect is her saying, "Your closet finally got stuffy, huh?" her grin from earlier floods her eyes and rounds her lips. "Congrats! So who's this missile capable of penetrating?" 

Alec scoffs, his beer back to his lips as he takes a sip, no longer paying attention to Isabelle who's looking at him with starry eyes and Alec feels sorry for her, that her biggest entertainment is his... her brother's sex life, "Nobody," he answers. 

After all, 

In truth, 

Well, you see, 

Magnus can't have been anybody because he's clearly non-human. Otherwise, why would he want anything to do with a boring man like Alec? 

"So who is he?" Isabelle cosies up to him, her eyes brighter than flood bulbs, her grin wider than before, "Is he the type to eat you alive?" 

Alec swallows as flashes of last Wednesday play on filmstrips from memory; 

Painted nails digging into his skin... hot breath burning against him... low moans like the hum of an orchestra in his head... Alec's voice ragged and his chest heaving each time a thrust is pushed into him... his toes curled.. his fingers gripping tightly Magnus's damped hair and he even slipped on sweat across Magnus's chest... eaten or swallowed, Alec still can't tell but for sure he was devoured. 

"We were drunk", he sighs, throwing his head back, resting into the sofa, closing his eyes. 

"Even better", she replies, still not letting her grin slip, "I bet he can still feel you in him..." she then pauses, looking at him like she only needs confirmation to the truth she already knows, "Or is it that you can still feel him in you, too?"

Is this even a normal brother sister conversation? 

Alec sighs, he doesn't raise his head, his eyes are however open now but looking into the ceiling, the filmstrips once again replaying, "Both". 

And Isabelle clasps her hands in glee as though a prayer had been answered, "So you're saying you did it more than once and even switched?" 

"No," Alec exhaled exasperatedly, "I'm saying, I'm fucked".

"So I've come to understand", she's still grinning, no longer from her teasing but from genuine worry. "What I don't get is why you're mourning... do you feel bad for your lost virginity? Did you make a pact of no sex before marriage?" 

It's neither. 

It's just that, as far as Alec is concerned, there really is no reason to like a single person so much because really, what's the point?

"In a lifetime," Alec begins, choosing his words carefully, words he'd time and again reflected upon, "In a lifetime, just how many times do you think a person can fall in love?"

Isabelle's forehead is back in a wrinkle, "As many times as possible. Isn't that ideal?"

Alec exhales again, his head once again thrown back and his eyes back to staring into the ceiling, "Then maybe that's the problem".

"How so?"

"I only want to fall in love once".

And without looking he could sense Isabelle staring at him with raised eyebrows, "But why would you? That sounds like a curse".

With a smile too sad to bear Alec answers, "But why not? We only have one heart so why should we let it break over and over like a broken record... never learning. It's like self mutilation, don't you think? Self mutilation in its most purest yet ignorant form".

And Isabelle is just looking at him... but not with worry... more like _finally_ with a breath of relief.

"What's that grin for?" he asks her.

And she's just still smiling as she replies, "Maybe once upon a lifetime you were either Romeo or Juliet".

"What nonsense are you spurting?" Alec rolls his eyes, grabbing the rest of the beer from her and drinking it himself. 

But she only smiles at him, full of endearment, "Oh Alec, I really can't wait for you to fully give your closet up for rent or better yet, use it for what it's meant to be... to keep clothes and everything else unnecessary".

"Aren't you excited?" he rolls his eyes, walking her to the door.

"Besides...", she rallies on, taking up her belongings to leave his apartment, "Getting eaten might not be as bad as it sounds."

Just as Alec is about to dismiss the earth being round and stars being in the sky even if they can't see them, his phone lights up.

_Text message:_

'Let's meet up for a drink... no sex. I promise'.

Alec sighs.

It isn't Magnus who needs to promise.

_\---_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the lil background served like sprinkled breadcrumbs XD  
> Let me know what you think :)


	4. who would've expected the flamingos?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus go on a date. Magnus danced like a blue-footed bird and Alec awes at fireworks.

Alec turns to Jace, "Did you see that pat of flamingos doing a night aquarium tour?"

For a moment there, Jace visibly wonders if he's actually being spoken to. "No..." he answers, slow as though on alert, "But that would be pretty cool, I suppose", and right here a wrinkle forms on his forehead as he asks, "You OK there?"

Alec locks his phone and tosses it to the side then announces, "Maybe in my past life I was a flamingo".

.

Magnus is a sort of jewellery, Alec thinks. Not the type he finds in a mall or on Amazon but more like a rare find in a hideaway antique shop.

Or perhaps he's the type made of stars, with the way the moon sits atop a cloud and watches over him.

Alec takes in deep breaths to tame the butterflies but the moment Magnus sees him, Magnus smiles and greets, "You're here".

Alec pretends to be looking elsewhere but in fact, he's already caught glimpse of the broad shoulders he loves so much dressed in maroon and laced with gold and, at the waist he adores so much. Magnus is fitted in a khaki casual trousers and around his eyes, his eyeliner and glitter run in competition with the night sky. Alec swallows then nonchalantly asks, "Aren't you tired of animals?" 

Magnus takes in a swift breath as though appalled, his hand to his chest in dramatics, "That's blasphemy, Alexander", he then walks even closer and Alec wonders what's his purpose, to attach to him, merge into one and- "You're quite pretty but thou shalt not blaspheme against thy animals".

Alec rolls his eyes to hide the internal beating he's giving himself. Since forever, if there's a shred of doubt, he's never been good at expressing himself and so no doubt, this short date night is about to give him wedges. He sighs again before turning to Magnus and asks, "Why am I here anyway?"

Magnus smiles and it doesn't take an expert to sketch the mischievousness in his eyes, smiling as though Alec had just asked the most rhetorical question... rhetorical but one he's glad to answer, " _Why_ you ask...?" rolling his tongue over his mouth and biting his lips, "Is it not because I'm also here?"

Alec wishes his entire skin was originally pink or red as he shifts to an angle that hides the rising crimson splashing his cheeks.

And at this, Magnus smiles all the wider, his lip glossy from his licks, "However if I'm not enough, how about some jellyfish. I heard the sloth is quite cute, too".

As it were,

They're at a night aquarium.

It's a new thing and apparently, not only Magnus but Alec is also crazy about animals.

Alec follows Magnus inside and surprises himself at how much he awes with eyes and mouth wide open at the coral reef tunnel pleasantly blanketing them and what seems to be a glimpse into the underwater Grand Canyon, and if all that isn't enough to wow a boy's heart, a shipwreck of about sixty vessels rests at what seems to be the bottom of New York’s waters. 

"What are you drinking?" Magnus asks.

"I don't drink", Alec answers, sharp and so straightforward that even he is surprised and is quick to mend, "I mean, I don't normally drink so I'm not sure".

Magnus nods and Alec exhales relieved.

"Then, do you trust me?"

Alec looks at the earth-warming smile Magnus throws him and immediately feels his heart melting but nonetheless answers, "No".

Magnus isn't even surprised but instead adds, "But you should", then turning to the bar counter, "I'm quite confident in my liquor skills".

Alec scoffs, he could care less about drinks. After all, it were these said drinks that got him into the trouble he's in today. He doesn't answer but turns around because truthfully... if he were to be honest with himself... be secretly honest with himself, being drunk was like cumming a thousand times during sex and that's got to be better than— 

Magnus disappears then soon reappears with a mug of draft beer. Alec won't deny that he's disappointed with plain beer but in the end, alcohol of any sort is the liquid encouragement he needs.

"By the way, what's your stance on sea lions?" Magnus asks while handing Alec his mug, taking real care to brush his fingers against Alec's. "There's a seven p.m. show if you want to see them mate". 

Alec blanches, nearly tripping over his own two feet.

.

Ever since Alec had sex with another man and loved it... ever since Alec had sex with Magnus, sex and all synonyms had become trigger words.

To attract a mate, some people wink, some flirt, buy the other a drink and look pretty. Magnus on the other hand, Magnus does all the above plus dance Alec's pants off.

But really,

When Magnus takes to the dance floor, he becomes a blue-footed booby dancing hard to attract his mate, Alexander. So he walks closer to Alec, "won't you give me the pleasure?" 

"To embarrass myself?" Alec throws him an eyebrow quirk.

"Of course not", Magnus smiles reaching for Alec's hand. Alec allows him to reach for and caress his fingers, hold them tight until he begins to feel Magnus's heat soaking into him. Inhaling, the sandalwood from Magnus's hair blends in with Alec's excitement and his sweat from his earlier dance and-

Alec pulls his hand away fast, turns to the side and replies, "I'm leaving".

So of course, Magnus quickly grabs him by the hand, all smile and flirtation in a trickle falls from his face as he looks Alec straight in the eyes and asks, "Isn't it obvious? I've chosen you".

Alec raises both eyebrows, he eyes wide like a confused moon, "Chosen me for what?"

Magnus cracks a smile but his grip around Alec holds even tighter, "Or more accurately, you've unlocked something in me".

Alec's eyes narrow and the winkles in his forehead intensifies as he answers, "I'm not a key".

This time Magnus laughs out loud and still holding Alec's hand he twirls himself around, dancing to the music in his head, the rum in his veins and whatever symphony is playing in his heart. "Alexander," he says in a contemplative breath, "If you could be an animal, what would you be?"

Alec's eyes widen, looking at Magnus thinking that for sure he's drunk but when Magnus looks back at him with eyes pressuring for an answer, Alec inhales and just as he's about to exhale with a reply, the sky above them ripple in an explosion of colours.

Magnus had forgotten all about it and Alec doesn't know that to signal the closing of the aquarium, there would be fireworks painting the night sky in rainbow... and Magnus being Magnus, had chosen the prime vantage in the aquarium for the show, his hands still wrapped around Alec's even as their heads tilt to the sky.

And Alec takes in a whole lung full of breath, he realises that not only did Magnus snatch his virginity away, he's also making him relive his teenage yearnings... yearning summers of finding love and breaking dams with true love's kiss with pink cheeks, starry eyes, dancing butterflies and,

Alec, 

_Oh_ Alec with strong long legs, a sexy long neck, and party-pink lips;  


Do you know that story about the flamingos?

They're unfriendly, avoiding animals they dislike and when they sense danger they carefully avoid certain individuals... but when they do find a partner, they form a long-lasting bond particularly so with same-sex friendships and—   


"Alexander, I'm going to kiss you now."

"Huh?" Alec turns his head, his mouth still slightly open from his confusion.

Summer, 

Summer is nothing but joy, youth and chaos.

Summer is a world that twirls and dips with Magnus's tongue sweetly pressed betwixt Alec's lips.

Alec finds the July sky chased with Magnus's lips much too intoxicating— 

How to put it?

Well you see,

Even as their lips and waists touch and fireworks explode above their heads, as far as Alec can tell it's;

Poor Magnus,

This date is a complete failure.

_\---_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting! 
> 
> For the life of me I couldn't decide kind of date I wanted for them... I've written so many one shot and drabble dates that I risk repeating and that I didn't want! Anyhow, I think I dropped hints here and there about future things XD 
> 
> Thanks for reading and as usual, do let me know what you think :)


	5. they fuck like rabbits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lil backstory of Alec's and Magnus's work... as well as some jealousy spawning XD

As far as Alec is concerned, he and Magnus fuck like rabbits every day.

Well, at least in his head.

He flings what little sheet is still on him and opens his legs wide, catching air. The sweat from his neck rolls down his chest and he inhales deeply and sighs loudly when he finally notices the massively shameless tent in his boxers. Fanning his crotch, Alec breaths in and out again, morning comes and with it, it flippantly carries thoughts of Magnus and from that train of thought, Alec supposes Magnus is the type who sleeps stalk naked.

The alarm finally goes off and this, officially starts another day of the summer heat trolling him.

Anyhow,

people gossip.

"You mean that beauty with her lips ever ruby red?"

"Yup! You see those lips before you see the rest of her," Jace answers with a low giggle of no ill intention.

"Well, she is pretty," Maia agrees, closing the excel file with the catalogued list of new arrivals.

Jace doesn't deny it and that's when Alec knows the lady subject of the gossip must really be pretty.

"So she's after Magnus, you say?"

"According to Simon, yes", Jace nonchalantly replies, scrolling through a photo album of baby cubs.

"Well, Magnus is a very good looking man himself, don't you agree, Alec?" Maia turns to him and asks.

Caught by surprise, Alec can only stutter, "Why are you asking me? I don't go around handing out Forbes badges for good looks".

"I never said you did besides, didn't you two hang out the other night?"

Alec nearly bites off his tongue from his heavy stuttering, "How did you know?"

"Magnus told Simon and Simon told Maia and Maia told me", Jace tells him, as he now opens another photo album containing red pandas.

Alec blanches, deciding it best he gets to Simon before Simon gets to everyone else and scandalise him further. Straightening his back, he drops a paper file on the desk and grabs his sun hat. "Instead of cleaning animal shit and whatnot you three should apply to work at BBC or CNN".

.

The woman with red lips... could it be Dorothea or is it, Camille?

Alec couldn't think fast enough to have asked without seeming suspiciously invested.

.

Making his daily rounds, Alec stops in front of the chimp cage looking at how a chimp had positioned her swollen butt right up in a male chimp's face. The boldness of it all sends the male chimp into a frenzy, crazy for some thrusting action that he starts to shake the tree branch with a well erected penis that's also very swollen with all the seeds hoping to be released.

Alec's eyebrows furrow, "Shameless," he mutters, pulling the hat further down his face. Forget flamingos, perhaps he's just a horny chimpanzee. 

"Ah! Just the pretty face I want to see".

Alec swiftly turns to the voice. He had been so caught up in the scandalous chimpanzee pair that he hadn't even noticed Magnus not far from him with a nursing bottle of milk feeding a baby giraffe. Since their date at the aquarium when he practically kissed Magnus and sprinted off, Alec has been making sure the two of them are never alone. "What are you doing?" 

"Whatever do you mean?" Magnus looks at him with a knowing grin, his lips still frozen from the roof full of kisses, "Exactly as you see... or are you seeing something else?"

But not a single teasing could distract Alec from the second biggest thing annoying him. "It's not your job to do all this. Don't you have a presentation to work on?"

Magnus pets the baby giraffe as he takes away the remainder of the milk, then looking up at Alec, the heat from the day making his forehead shiny and Alec takes keen notes of the beads of sweat running down his neck, enough to soak the cape of his khaki uniform, "Oh Alexander dear, I'm touched. If I'd known feeding a giraffe would get me your attention, I would've done it a long time ago".

Alec's forehead cringed at the centre, partially from Magnus's teasing but also from feeling annoyed with how Magnus takes on the job of ten.

"OK fine", Magnus acquiesces having seen the veins in Alec's neck and arms stiffening, "It's not like feeding baby animals is going to take away from what I'm supposed to say... if anything, doing this calms me down... as well as, I get to see you make a fuss over me"

Alec bites on the inside of his cheeks, wanting to kick himself for being too chatty. After all, giving himself away is so unlike him, "It's not you I'm fussing over".

"If not me then who?" Magnus wipes a trail of sweat off his forehead, his eyes still light and fond on Alec.

"Not a, _who_ ", Alec shakes the gutter thoughts from his head, leaning in and begins to pet the baby giraffe, "but about the millions of dollar this wildlife conservation will get if your presentation goes well."

Magnus laughs, not surprised. "Your dedication in saving the planet is sexy as hell", he replies, playing with the tip of Alec's hat, the brown in his eyes still light and sunshine, "Then how about you promise me a second date as extra motivation?"

"Magnus, you—"

"Fine", he quickly cuts Alec off, watching him a bit sly and calculating, "But think about it while I go show off my awesome people skill".

Watching him go, Alec's forehead wrinkles, finding it scary and annoying how his own heart just up and left him for another man... and how in the same way, if he penis could, it too would stick itself to Magnus twenty-four-seven and melt into him like the July heat. Alec sighs, heavier this time because with the malicious heat the sun is striking him with, his groin starts to throb and he's just about to make a secret moan when he suddenly finds himself holding his breath, his ears perked, eavesdropping.

Indeed,

What's the use of loving another man at the risk of him loving another and leaving you, alone and unable to love again with a tattered and jaded heart?

And at that thought, the cloud that floats above Alec's head starts to rain.

He has indeed found himself a troublesome man— troublesome and scary with how without Magnus even knowing, he has caused Alec's eyes to become bloodshot and his palms to roll into fists the moment the much gossiped red lips from earlier, saunters over to Magnus and links her elbow with his.

Isabelle, who has been watching this whole time smiles, "Look here", he calls to Simon. The two of them looking through the window, a wide grin plastered over both their faces because as far as they can tell, Alec has suddenly transformed into one very pissed off bunny.

_\---_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting!  
> As always, I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts XD


	6. Alexander Jealous cat Gideon Lightwood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec helps Magnus with the presentation.  
> Some more spicy flashback!

"OK but there are seven point eight billion people out there so why would you want to give your heart to just one?"

"Then would you rather chop it up in pieces and give a little bit to everyone?"

"No, not everyone but certainly not just one."

"And why not?"

"Who's good enough to get my whole heart?"

"Who else?" Alec sighs, his hand against his chest, "Of course it would be the one you love the most."

"And of this 7.8 billion, how the hell can you be sure to find the one you love the most?" Jace also sighs, exasperated. Alec's ideals were just too much for him. 

"Well maybe it's more about them finding you."

"Then what's the difference? We're both running around looking... how exhausting."

Alec actually smiles, "But just knowing someone is also looking for you... that's how you'll know it was all worth it, right?" Because yes, some people just want to give the one heart they have to the one person they love the most and it just so happens that Alec, as stern on the outside as he seems, is one of those hopeless romantics. 

"Sounds like you've already found this one love", Jace looks at him, eyes piercing but not daring him to spill what he isn't yet ready to tell.

Alec doesn't reply with his usual fierce retort, instead, he holds his smile and quietly continues to work.

Love is silent, too.

.

But love is jealous, also.

And it annoys Alec because how can he be jealous over something he doesn't have nor want?

With his eyes not leaving the exact place Camille's hand wraps around Magnus, watching her stupidly grin while joyously hugging his _to be_ man, Alec grits his teeth so much so that the veins in his forehead strengthened.

"Magnus..." he calls out and runs up to him, "Why don't I help you with that presentation? I have a few ideas".

The surprise on Magnus is too obvious to hide and just as he's about to reply—

"Oh, what's this presentation about?" Camille asks, her bright lips pretty and it's angering Alec all the more.

"That one to the donors", Magnus answers her.

Camille nods then asks, "Do you need help?"

"Three is a crowd", Alec quickly responds and by the time he takes note of his blatant aggressiveness, he adds, "I've got him. I'm sure you have other pressing matters to deal with".

Alec is one sly bastard and when he looks over and finds Magnus smiling at him with wet lips and delighted eyes, Alec's heart sprints across his chest then heaves in control and rests.

"Well, I'm sure an extra hand would do wonders", Camille insists.

The veins in Alec's forehead are on the verge of popping, "Actually, no", he quickly replies and it's clear that he's annoyed, "We'd waste time bringing you up to speed".

Camille looks at him with searching eyes, "But why should you know any better? Aren't you also on a different team?"

Truth is, Alec hadn't really planned that far but be as it may, with everything uncertain, and with this red lipped woman clinging to the only man he may can ever love, Alec turns to Magnus and asks, "How long do you plan on fraternising?"

"Does it bother you?" Magnus smiles at him, obvious in his teasing.

Alec swallows, "Why would it bother me?"

Magnus steps closer, his smile nothing less than the rarest crystal, "Alexander, I hope you'll continue liking me".

Camille, standing to the side can only watch silently in confusion all the more so when Alec says nothing to discredit Magnus's bold insinuation, and instead keeps his eyes locked with Magnus's gaze.

"Camille, be careful on your way home", Magnus tells her.

Alec looks over at her and if looks could kill, Alec would be charged for murder.

.

That night when everyone had left for home or wherever, Magnus's forehead is knitted deep in concentration typing away. Alec is to his left combing through files of reports. Two cups of coffee steam on the desks and save for the tapping of laptop keys and pages flipping, silence more or less settles between them.

They've been colleagues for the better part of 2 years now, both having a relationship that doesn't entirely run on hostility but rather, both being conscious and cautious of the other. If anything, they've always been like cat and dog, oil on water, Magnus never really meshing well with the boring straight-laced Alec and Alec, who couldn't understand the trickery of the outgoing seemingly flirtatious Magnus. There have always been tension but be it good or terrible, they hadn't yet figured it out until that night like this when they'd both been working late and Alec just so happened to fall asleep at his desk. Magnus, about to leave for the night only noticed Alec was asleep when he heard light snores. Watching Alec, Magnus considered leaving him just so but being the busybody he is, he actually went over.

"Alec, you should go home".

But when Alec just continued to snore, Magnus inhaled and exhaled and was even annoyed. He really should have just left but somehow he bent down and whispered, "Alexander..."

Maybe it was the way he called Alec's name or maybe it was the way he smelled but Alec actually moaned and without opening his eyes, reached his hand out and pulled Magnus to him and just when Magnus's eyes opened wide and confused, Alec pulled him closer and kissed him.

Alec had made the first move.

The kiss tasted of coffee, bitter but with sweet undertones.

Magnus closed his eyes and kissed him back and before either knew what was happening, Alec had already pulled Magnus on his lap, hands squeezing his buttocks while kissing him. It felt good. It felt great. It felt like a breath of _finally_ and neither understood why but when Alec finally opened his eyes and understood what was going on, neither did he stop nor freak out... instead, he put one hand behind Magnus's head and held him there gently, his kiss never leaving Magnus's lips-

For a brief second they paused, their eyes doing all the talking, all the agreeing and when the consent was green-lit, Alec tossed Magnus on his half empty desk and pulled on his trousers. Magnus sucked in a full lung of breath when Alec's warm fingers reached into his boxers and massaged him.

The office remained silent saved for the heavy breathing and files dropping on the floor as they thrashed around and by the time Alec sunk himself into Magnus and exhaled with a breath of relief, what he was doing puzzled him but also emancipated his feelings. He sunk himself more into Magnus and when Magnus reeled his arms around his waist to keep him right where it felt sweetest, Alec remembered smiling, his heart so full, swelling with feelings that felt foreign but exhilarating and without much thought he just simply leaned in and captured Magnus's lips and never let go until the heat in their bellies somersaulted... first with him in Magnus and second, with Magnus in him. 

They haven't talked about that night since then.

But they can't run forever, Alec will come to know.

But for now,

As expected, the presentation went well, they got the donation, the wildlife reserve is onto the next phase of their project and Alec is back to pretend-ignore Magnus but then a day unlike any other knocks on Alec's window.

Alec wakes up sweating a river as usual, cursing to himself to move out if the landlord doesn't hurry up and fix the damn AC. In time however, he manages to get ready and make it to work.

"What?" he asks, dumbfounded, standing in his Director's office.

It seems that already, the day is out for vengeance.

"I'm sending you to the Orinoco".

"Alone?" Alec asks, voice stuttering, eyes begging for it all to be a joke for really, it's like, karma is on steroids and wants to fuck him senseless as payback for the many times he'd fucked Magnus in his dreams.

"Of course not", his Director replies, handing him the files, "I just told you that Magnus will be going too", she looks at Alec, her chin resting in her palms watching him, "I've already spoken to him."

Really,

At times like this Alec has to wonder if life just sits atop the moon, waves a finger at him and smirks while snarling, 'You, I'll fuck you up today you horny wretch'.

And Alec laughs.

"Well, I'm happy you're this enthusiastic", the Director smiles at him, pleased, "Magnus is, too".

At that, Alec takes the files and excuses himself, a smile still on his cheeks, already feeling defeated because really, let's imagine— if the one in billions is supposedly also looking for him, then how is he to tell? Will this person walk up to him with a name tag reading, _Property of Alexander Gideon Lightwood_ or will he just happen to be fucking him one night on his office desk?

He actually giggles this time, a lil bit louder than for himself.

"Hey partner", Magnus hails while sitting on Alec's desk, his beam brighter than the entire solar system.

Still smiling at his impending defeat, Alec nods to the dilemma he finds himself in thinking that, perhaps if love were any easy, he wouldn't have wanted it, anyway.

Then again,

If it's so,

Rather than just his heart, maybe he'll just shred his whole self into pieces and feed the nearly extinct crocodiles.

Next week, they'll leave for South America.

_\---_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_


	7. Alec hates flying, Magnus dates him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally some Magnus POV.  
> And they're off to South America!

As if the sun can't wait to kiss him, the first ray of morning adorns Magnus's skin and by five-thirty, he's already in a love affair with the day. Although, from the way he can only slowly crack his eyes open and from the stiffness on his face, he can already tell his eyes are swollen from the air conditioner. 

Yawning and stretching, he soon turns on his side and reaches for a half finished book on his bedside table and proceeds to flip through the pages. By six-thirty, he's out of bed, naked as the day he was born. Feeling the cold air brushing him everywhere, he turns the air conditioner off and softly walks to the kitchen. He takes coffee from the fridge, adds some to the filter, adds water to the percolator and presses it on... and as he leans against the counter waiting, listening to the coffee machine work its magic and feeling more awake solely from the scent of caffeine, a smile out of nowhere surfs his face.

By seven on the dot, he's already showered and is applying concealer to hide his puffy eyes when his cell phone rings.

"You need a man to keep you in bed longer", he says the moment he answers the phone.

The woman on the other line laughs, "Are you projecting?"

"Maybe", Magnus admits with his own lil chuckle, blending out the concealer around his eyes.

"Oh," Caterina muses, a tease in her tone, "Who's the unfortunate soul?"

"Me".

"You?"

"What's wrong with it being me?"

"Nothing, but how many unfortunate run-ins with love do you intend to have?"

At this, Magnus's smile from earlier turns into a regretful one, "But it can't be helped, can it? I'm alive and the bees and the birds are alive", he says, a contemplative smile still around his lips even as he adds some smokiness to his eyes, "Caterina, is it fair to call it love if I only love because I've been loved first?"

The telephone line goes silent before, "So you're saying you really really like someone because they first really really like you?"

"Yes".

Caterina makes a thinking sound then, "Okay, by no means is that weird but what will you do about it?"

"That's just it" Magnus sighs, "He likes me but at the same time he hates my guts".

"OK you just completely lost me", her voice stirring with confusion. "Didn't you say he likes you first?"

"Oh he does like me", Magnus reaffirms, "But at the same time, for some reason he stays away".

Caterina releases another bout of thinking noises, then says, "He loves you but doesn't take you seriously".

"Meaning what exactly?"

She sighs and Magnus can practically imagine the furrow in her forehead, "What I mean is, you smile with everyone and you're the king of flirting".

That isn't exactly what Magnus is hoping to hear so he rolls his eyes and says, "Nonsense. Anyhow, I have to go now".

"Well even if you're not flirting, you treat everyone equally so no one ends up feeling special", she quickly adds.

"Didn't you hear me?" Magnus stubbornly threatens, "I'm hanging up".

"Fine..." she gives up, it's not like Magnus isn't already aware of what she's telling him. He's aware but he just doesn't understand why everyone sees something for what it's not. "By the way, you'll see that guy in South America, right?"

"You mean, Lorenzo? I hope not".

She laughs, low and playful, "Well good luck with that".

"Caterina, darling", Magnus calls low but very warning, "Dear Caterina, Cat, slowly but surely you're losing your right to any souvenir I might buy".

"I expect a hand luggage full", she laughs, not buying into his threat but then quickly hangs up.

Gelling his hair and then combing it back, Magnus admires his good looks. Well, he's a smart man, so he's fully aware of the advantage his good looks have given him. Well... he understands it being both a blessing and curse.

Though when it comes to Alec, Magnus isn't so sure what exactly about him attracted Alec. Alec is a handsome young man himself, tall and strong with sexy hair, thick eyebrows and eyes that would make anyone want to swim and drown in them.

Magnus isn't lying. Alec comes off unfriendly, bland, pedantic and strict so except for his good looks, Magnus finds nothing endearing about him... until that evening in the office they had sex and Magnus saw himself reflected in Alec's eyes.

There really is no less condescending way to put it... Magnus started liking Alec because Alec likes him first... this giant walking around all day with a scowl... this goody two-shoe desperately wants to embrace him and fuck him and for Magnus, that's a total turn on. 

"You're here".

"Where else would I be?" Alec answers, the usual scowl on his face, a wrinkle in his forehead.

Magnus smiles and joins him as they walk towards check-in.

"You don't plan on returning?" Alec asks, looking at the two huge suitcases Magnus is pulling.

They're to be staying for only a week at the wildlife park collecting data and giving short lectures.

"Why? Would you miss me?" Magnus asks, a smirk riding his lips and glinting in his eyes.

Alec nearly trips over his own legs, "Why would I?"

Magnus grins. He's having fun loving how much Alec is liking him.

"Travelling alone?" the check-in clerk asks, as soon as Alec walks up.

"Yes", he answers handing her his passport.

"No, he's not", Magnus stands beside him, handing the clerk his passport too, "We're together", he winks at Alec and even bounces against him sending the clerk to be smiling shyly.

Alec lets him do whatever he pleases and as soon as he's handed back his passport and boarding pass, he leaves.

Yes,

Bit by bit, Magnus is falling for Alec just because Alec tries so hard not to love him but in fact, already really does.

It's like,

In a strange way, Alec's misery settles Magnus's heart and that's precisely why he's falling in-like with him more and more.

After Alec had hurried away, the next time Magnus sees him is at the boarding gate. Magnus walks up to him, clearly disapproving, "Alexander, you don't seem to know this yet but, we're dating".

To be blunt, stripped naked and scandalised is how Alec feels while at the same time, Magnus's heart dances as though just offered an offering.

As requested, they're seated together, Magnus by the window and Alec in the aisle.

Before long, they board and are about to take off.

"Do you know the guy who'll pick us up from the airport?" Magnus casually asks, flipping through the airline magazine but when Alec doesn't answer, he looks over and feels his heart warming even more from the thousand skips it's doing. Even though confused at his own reaction, he can't hide the smile around his lips as he watches Alec sitting still, upright, looking straight ahead and holding on so tight to the arms of his seat that his knuckles have near drained to white.

"Do you want to take my hand?" Magnus asks, reaching out to Alec.

Alec ignores him, looking angrier than usual.

Magnus's heart skips another beat, this Alexander keeps surprising him, keeps him intrigued... this Alexander who can tame tigers and manners baboons is scared shit of flying. 

The airplane engines are loud but Magnus's heart is beating louder. He doesn't offer his hand again but instead puts the magazine away, leans back in his seat before gently resting his hand on Alec's without saying a word. 

Alec doesn't refuse the gesture and so Magnus uses his thumb to soothe over Alec's knuckles and just so, it's not long before the plane levels and the seat belt sign switches off.

Magnus is about to turn to Alec to congratulate him on surviving the take off but what happens instead is another unexpected twist that sends Magnus's heart beating... there beside him, in the few minutes from then til now, Alec stressed so much about flying that he passes out, and is deep in sleep, his head had fallen on Magnus's shoulder and Magnus can't help but laugh because really, just how much cuter can this giant be? Carefully putting the magazine away, making sure not to shift too much, Magnus positions Alec's head properly on his shoulders and just so he stays, looking down every now and again to ensure Alec is comfortable.

By the time the six hour flight lands in Columbia, Magnus too, had fallen asleep atop Alec.

Alec wakes up before Magnus and pretends none of the above happened.

.

Twenty three minutes waiting outside airport arrivals before a dirty jeep with a thin man with long hair and a smile too wide for his face pulls up and even before parking he calls out, "Magnus Bane".

Magnus puts on a smile though Alec can see it isn't anything genuine but it's clear Magnus is well acquainted with this ranger from the wildlife park they'll be staying. "Lorenzo", he lazily waves, getting into the jeep. "How nice to see you again".

"Well, of course you'd miss me. I'm great", Lorenzo grins again, looking Alec up and down, "Boyfriend?"

Alec can't hide that the question catches him off guard but he also likes sass so he asks, "And you? An Ex?" his eyebrows raised in a challenge.

First Camille and now this man...

Really, sometimes Alec feels he's against the whole world for Magnus.

"Don't make me puke", Magnus chimes in.

"Exactly", Lorenzo agrees, pulling out of parking, "I am too much a thoroughbred to have dated Bane".

Magnus doesn't answer nor does he look offended so Alec asks, " So how do you two know each other?"

"University. Same major", Lorenzo is happy to announce.

"Unfortunately", Magnus follows.

The relief in Alec's voice remains humble, "No wonder you two seem to get along so well".

Magnus looks at him with his small smirk, knowing full well Alec's sole intention is fishing for information under the disguise of teasing him so he says, "But it's really you I want to get along with".

Alec swallows back without a rejoinder. 

Magnus smiles, his win.

.

With how well tucked away El Turparro National Natural Park is, it's quite mind boggling how crocodile hunters made their way to this remote land at a time when transportation was nowhere near as convenient as it is now... and they got so deep in the forest to have nearly wiped out entire species of fauna. After leaving Puerto Carreño, with Lorenzo behind the driver's wheel they traverse along muddy roads with the occasional stop for them to stretch their legs. After all, all three of them have long legs. With the jeep being roofless and the weather fair, the wind behaves as though they're all best friends with the coolness it greets them. Three hours later, they finally reach the Orinoco where they then hop on a boat and—

"It's truly majestic", Alec inhales and exhales, an undying smile flowers his lips.

How to describe it?

From the highlands of Ethiopia, the Blue Nile joins the White Nile in Khartoum in what Arab poets call, _the longest kiss in history_. Perhaps so too, is the Casiquiare canal meeting the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers. 

Magnus and Alec arrive smack in the middle of the rainy season, hugged by greenery, carried by high tide and, graced with parrots, flamingos and scarlet ibis that entertain in a rainbow of colours. Alec reaches for his camera the moment he spots river otters basking in the river's coolness in a series of backstrokes. Alec inhales, snapping picture after picture, his excitement much to the joy of Magnus, who, though relieved to have escaped the concrete jungle of New York, a nature park such as this is nothing new per se. Since university he's done a vast majority of research and as such, he has visited a number of wildlife parks and sanctuaries, enough for him to be able to give lectures and to have been scouted for one of the best wildlife conservations in New York.

"Magnus..." Alec quietly calls, "Is that really what I think it is?"

Magnus follows Alec's gaze and smiles, "There are less than a hundred of them in the whole Colombia and yet you manage to spot one in less than an hour", he smiles, snapping a candid picture of Alec with an Orinoco crocodile in the background, "It's like it knew you were coming and no matter what, wanted to meet the gorgeous you".

As expected, Alec ignores the flirty aspect and instead, all attention being paid to the crocodile and all the wildlife he could only dream of seeing back in New York.

After travelling for an hour upstream, they finally arrive at the park's cabañas. Lorenzo gives them their park pass then brings them to where they would be staying for the week.

"And this is it", Lorenzo shows them the cabaña, "If you need me, which you of course will because really, who doesn't need me? I'll be in that cabaña that has a picture of me hanging in the front".

"Okay but where's mine?" Alec asks, his eyes not leaving the single cot in the cabaña Lorenzo is showing them.

"What do you mean? You're looking at it", Lorenzo quirks an eyebrow as though genuinely confused, "It's a good thing you and Bane are a thing otherwise you would've been one cot short", he then looks them up and down and it's clear he's imagining things, "Just try not to break anything. If you do I'll charge you for it".

While Alec is still standing slacked-jaw, Magnus is actually excited but decided it's best not to be around a miserable Alec on alert all night so he turns and says, "Lorenzo, I'm thankful for the cot but as you can see, we both have broad shoulders so, we definitely won't fit on a single bed cot". 

Lorenzo is looking at Magnus as though something got lost in translation so Magnus adds, "So, by chance, would you have any spare camping pod?"

Alec holds his breath and listens and Lorenzo sighs, "I don't need you bossing me around, Bane".

"How is this bossing you around? You just said to ask for help if we need it and now we do need your help".

Lorenzo shakes his head, his smile nowhere near his usual hospitable spark as he says, "And we both know that's only out of formality".

"So?" Alec asks, ignoring everything Lorenzo had just tried to portray.

"So yeah I've got a spare".

"And?"

"And you'll get it tomorrow", Lorenzo tells him, feeling offended that this young man Magnus obviously has a thing for cannot read the air. "You don't expect me to go into the storage shed now, do you?" his rhetoric loud and clear, not even trying to hide his dissatisfaction, "It's already sunset".

"Then what do you expect me to sleep on tonight?" Alec asks, still not backing down.

"On me", Magnus answers, the smile on him so pretty yet also tricky, "For tonight, you can sleep on me", he reiterated, his lips red and wet and smirking like a wolf in wait.

"Then that settles that", Lorenzo whews, scampering away before he could again be stopped.

"Alexander", Magnus calls out, "Worry not. I promise not to bite..." he pauses, looking over at Alec who looks the cutest he's ever been while worrying about spending the night with the man he loves. Like a shrivelled dormant seed being watered, Magnus's heart is having the time of its life. "I won't bite", he tells Alec, the grin on him wholeheartedly proof that he's up to no good all the more as he says, "Well unless you want me to", smiling, the light warmly dancing in his eyes.

Alec looks at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

And Magnus smiles all the more, patting Alec's side of the already tiny bed cot.

Fly high, fly low;

Magnus will ensure,

Alec sleeps on top of him tonight.

_\---_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_


	8. Alec is a grave robber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more Magnus backstory.  
> Alec is too happy for his own good.

The thing is, when Magnus loves he loves so deep that not even the ocean can compete.

Magnus loved so much and loved so deeply that only death could've done him and his first love part.

He loved and loved, gave his whole heart to George then one day, George left him for death.

That day he buried George, Magnus attended two funerals; one for his lover and the other, for his heart.

But then almost, only almost did his heart nearly resurrect... it was with Imasu, one of the few people Magnus grew to care for after George's death. For Imasu, Magnus felt something that wasn't yet love but was enough to make him want to open up about his past and be accepted as he slowly surrendered himself... but before he could, Imasu left him saying, "You're too ephemeral".

So of course, Magnus was left puzzled. After all, how could he have loved and loved, given all that love away but in the end was then rejected? Then, if that were to be the case then Magnus, as far as he's concerned, if he were to love someone and treat them special but then they up and go, then clearly, treating them special is taboo... so from then, he has treated everyone equally and strangely, without him expecting anything, everything has worked out except-

Hmm...

One day, a grave robber with eyes sharper than the edges of a shovel showed up.

Magnus remains unbothered.

After all, his heart is buried deep.

but-

.

An hour or so after Lorenzo left Alec to his demise, it would seem the mosquitoes would bite him far before Magnus gets a chance. Slapping here and there all over him until he's near covered in red spots, Magnus has to wonder if something is wrong with his blood... why aren't the mosquitoes biting him as well? Hauling his huge suitcase that miraculously made it all the way to the reserve, he pulls out a ziploc bag and from that, a couple of sandalwood scented mosquito coils and incense sticks because just like marigolds in a garden, not only does sandalwood keep at bay the mosquitoes but the citronella and eucalyptus blended in also presents a relaxing evening and Alec can finally enjoy the starry skies with the cabaña door open.

Sitting to the side, Magnus is watching him, very entertained that his heart has been doing flips after flips and he swallows, looking harder thinking that under the moonlight, Alec looks like a night flower opening.

"I feel like I'm in outer space", Alec says, his head tilting towards the sky and Magnus isn't sure if the statement is rhetorical until Alec turns to him with a smile and asks, "All those years you spent in Peru, all those places you wrote about in National Geographic, were they always as ethereal as this?"

Magnus feels his heart shake again.

After all, five years have passed since he was in Peru and it's been four years since his research from then was published and, he's only been working at the wildlife conservation in Brooklyn for two years so how does Alec know about his previous research?

"By the way," Alec continues, "Whatever happened to that garling bird that stole your bacon at breakfast in Jamaica?" he laughs, curious but also teasing and this playful side of Alec is in itself a new discovery, like the moon had bathed him in mystery and is now slowly revealing his true self. He then turns to Magnus fully, the grin on him wide, "Did you ever get your bacon and plantain back?" his eyes not just colourful but glossy and bright and Magnus finds himself truly drowning in them.

Magnus has to blink to snap out of his awe, "That was years ago. How do you know about that?"

"What do you mean by how I know about it?" Alec looks at him, forehead crinkled like he's genuinely confused by Magnus's question, turning the mosquito coil as though buying time as he watches the smoke spread all around the cabaña until he finally says, "I was there that time you gave the presentation on the snoring frogs of Jamaica".

And at this single moment, while having flashback of how many years have passed since then, not just a single flower does Magnus see growing on Alec but instead, a blossoming garden in every crevice in his smile and Magnus sighs-

He's suddenly being stung by too many things, "Wait, so you knew me before we became colleagues?"

The little shy smile Alec gives is enough for an answer, "Who wouldn't know you?"

"No one knows me", Magnus replies, still trying to wrap his head around the revelation, replaying flashbacks of when they could've possible met, "Unless for some reason they're looking".

Smiling, looking back up at the constellation, Alec's cheeks grow a little pinker, "Well, I saw and I wasn't looking".

By now, Magnus suspects that Alec is a whole botanical garden.

.

Two mornings pass with Magnus and Alec doing data collecting, reading through files and learning ways in which the animals here in the wild are catalogued and are kept track of. It's tedious but fun and Magnus hasn't felt this happy for as long as he can remember. He also hasn't seen Alec relax and laugh so much as he has these past few days. Alec is so caught up in the newness and excitement of things that two nights in and he has already forgotten about needing an extra cot... and so the third morning finds them sharing even the bedding, Magnus's head on Alec's arm, their nose almost touching and when Alec wakes, instead of falling off in confusion, scare and embarrassment, he opens his eyes and stares at Magnus's jawlines and suede eyelashes and kissable lips like the scenery is the most ordinary picturesque thing.

A fourth afternoon soon passes and now, they'll finally get some time away from the workshops of information exchange and along the Orinoco, they'll do a short mid-evening tour.

Alec grabs the video camera since they'll need to make a documentary of the park to show the staff back in New York. Alec is ecstatic, smiling so much that at times he seems like a whole different person from the Alec, Magnus knows.

"Ready?" he turns to Magnus, the smile on him being perhaps the sweetest thing Magnus has seen for longer than he can remember.

Magnus nods, "Compass?"

"Check".

"Walkie-talkie?"

"Check".

Magnus smiles at him and it's real and innocent but deep down in his heart, confusing as well.

They meet up with Lorenzo, who not only works as a biologist at the park but who's also a certified tour guide so naturally, he doesn't let Magnus and Alec forget that as a certified guide, they would need him to access the most spectacular of spots.

Side-eyeing him, Magnus is already feeling annoyed. "Let's just go".

.

Tuparro is like a magical place.

The landscape is unique, the culture is aboriginal and, the park is rich is biodiversity. Alec, is keeping his fingers crossed with his video camera ready for the slightest chance of once again encountering the largest predator in the Americas, the Orinoco Crocodile. And so he keeps his eyes wide open searching about as Lorenzo boasts his knowledge about the trail, pointing out the green and black Poison Arrow Frogs that squat atop the prehistoric rocky hills that seem to want to tumble over into the rivers and on the jungle below... and Alec nearly loses his mind in excitement when a pair of Pink River Dolphins swims up to them and playfully flips right where the Orinoco and Tomo Rivers meet-

The blue skies,

The greenery below, 

And the scent of wet earth create an ephemeral dream but it's not until they reach the rumoured 'Eighth Wonder of the World', the Maipures Rapids, that Alec's breath leaves him for a bit before circling back. Walking along the river, the thunderous orchestra of the Maipures creates the best symphony ever to be composed and as if that isn't enough, once they hop on top of the rapids, the surrounding savannah that stretches all the way until it meets the tepui mountains over in Venezuela has Alec on his feet recording everything. Magnus, on the other hand, snaps photographs of Alec in all his glorious excitement.

"Magnus...", Alec calls, his eyes never leaving a bout of rocky hills, "Is that the—"

"The Guyana Shield?" Magnus catches on, "I believe—

"Yes, you're absolutely correct", Lorenzo out of nowhere intrudes on the conversation, "Congratulation, you're one of few to be looking at a rock formation that's older than America and Africa being continents."

Alec can hardly breathe, his breath literally being taken away and as though that's not enough, they soon come upon a narrow channel that for millions of years have been carving through the jungle.

Alec's mouth drops, miming, "Caño Lapa", looking at the GPS to make sure he's not mistaken.

"That's right", Lorenzo interrupts yet again, answering proudly like he's the one who told Alec in the first place.

Magnus is all smiles, watching Alec move around excitedly, trying to video tape from every angle, his smile long morphed into a grin, trying to remember the last time he was this turned on by someone's thirst for knowledge. "Alexander, get it from this angl—'

There's a loud thud and a sudden yelp and the next thing Magnus sees is Alec rolling at speed down the rock before splashing into Caño Lapa and starts to swirl downstream in a flush of water powered by the daily rains.

Magnus's heart drops and without a second's delay, he's just about to slide in after Alec when Lorenzo grabs him and shouts, "Are you crazy?"

"Let me go", Magnus struggles.

"These rocks are old and slippery as hell so if you don't calm down you'll be next and dragging me along with you", Lorenzo holds onto him tightly, his voice loud, his tone reprimanding. 

Restrained while seeing Alec being carried farther and farther away, images of George wash up in his memory and Magnus screams, "ALEXANDER!!!!" instantly pushes Lorenzo away and down the rocks he skates.

You see,

The thing is,

After losing his loves, another loss like this is exactly what Magnus is afraid of so instead of getting close to others, he decides that having nothing to lose was far better so he locked his heart and buried it, being nice to everyone without being genuine until-

Until a few days ago, waking up and falling asleep with Alec with just their nose almost touching make his heart grow feelings of daisies.

From that,

Magnus should've known that Alec had dug his heart up from right under his nose and has been mulching it for new flowers to grow.

"Bane!" Lorenzo shouts, his eyes widen, pulling out his walkie-talkie.

But only the gush of water beating against rocks answers back because carried by the current and deafened by the fear knocking against his chest,

Alec is long gone and chasing after him, Magnus.

_\---_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_


	9. The bird that stole Magnus's bacon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I guess I should've titled this chapter, 'the history of Malec' lol  
> Anyhow, more backstory and pink danger.

Magnus's heart was stolen right from under his nose and he aches, as that same heart is floating downstream and further out of reach.

Frantic, Magnus rolls downstream too... he really doesn't want to put yet another memory in his box.

Though, with the force of water pushing him along the course, he soon loses sight of Alec, much to the turmoil of his heart. However, having been on a number of safari and nature park excursions for research, Magnus is very well capable of taking care of himself while maneuvering rivers and their floodplains. Although, the last time he was caught in such a dilemma was that time he got stuck in the swamp off Kingston Harbour while researching manatee. In addition to that, in the same week he got lost on Goat Island because his GPS got broken when he tripped and fell.

However, even considering all that, now is the first time he feels true worry, grabbing hold of a rock and looking around, his wet clothes feeling heavy and he's out of breath, the ease in his heart still rupturing because Alec is still nowhere to be seen-

"Did you fall too?" he hears from the river bank.

Magnus gasps, his heart in his mouth as he sees Alec clinging to shrubs on the bank of the river and Magnus is thinking how he basically did jump to this death to save another man, "Yes".

"Are you stupid?" Alec giggles but the sound he makes is ragged and he's coughing while trying to regain his energy.

Swimming over to where Alec is and checking to make sure Alec's really still in one piece, Magnus finally releases the breath he's holding, his heart sighing in relief, "Yes." 

Alec giggles again in that out of breath hoarseness and when they both finally crawl fully on land, he looks about them and asks, "How do you suppose we get back?"

"You have a compass, don't you?"

Alec holds up the smashed compass with a bitter smile, "It's saying north is the moon and south... somewhere in your trousers".

If Alec is able to make dirty jokes out of nowhere then Magnus supposes all is well.

The sun is just about dropping in the west and Magnus calculates another hour or so before they'll be left in complete darkness, although, looking around them Magnus can't help but awe at how the setting sun glimmers before them like the tip of toes teasing water. "And the walkie-talkie?"

With a bitter smile, Alec holds up the device, water dripping from it.

"How the hell did you manage to fall and be carried so far?" Magnus sighs, relief on one end but worry on the other.

"I could say the same for you", Alec throws back and Magnus almost outs himself but catches his tongue in the nick of time.

"Let's just follow the river and head back upstream".

Not long after, the sun skids away and leaves them in the dark. Magnus looks up but the moon is still half asleep. Just then he stops and takes a LED light from his backpack that's still strapped to him. Alec's eyes light up, "Why do I believe I can depend on you?"

Not sure if the question is rhetorical, Magnus doesn't say anything, but instead passes one of the lights to Alec, "These should last for about six hours".

"Do you think that's enough time?" Alec asks, taking the light, his eyes even more colourful than Magnus had missed.

"Hopefully by then you'll be back in your cabañas nursing insect bites with Lorenzo being an annoying mosquito in our ears".

Alec makes a contemplative giggle and as they trod along the path, he's thinking how unsettling the noise in New York is when compared to the soothing call of forest crickets, frogs and tinier insects they haven't yet met buzzing in their ears. They however try to ignore the occasional splashes they hear in the smaller tributaries.

"What's your take on skinny dipping?" Alec asks out of the blue.

Magnus is quite intrigued, "Sounds great if you're OK with piranhas biting your butt".

Alec chuckles, "Don't tell me you're afraid of a fish".

With the raise of an eyebrow, Magnus turns to look at him. He'd always pictured Alec uptight and by the book, the boring type of guy who would pledge to the rules so how is it that that said guy is trying to convince them to skinny dip in the unknown Orinoco river under the moonlight while they're completely lost and first priority should be getting found?

Magnus's heart trembles yet again, worried that this surge of unexpected excitement might get him in trouble. "It's not because I'm afraid of some fish", he answers, "It's because I want that butt for myself".

Twilight dims on Alec's smile but it's wide enough to light the stars. He then asks, "I'm fine with that but what about that woman?"

Pushing branches out of their way and minding his every step Magnus asks, "What woman?"

Alec hesitates a while before replying, "Red lips".

At this point, Magnus stops suddenly, turns around and looks at him and as the lighting is bad since the moon hasn't yet decided to get to work, Alec is unsure as to how to react so he doesn't... Magnus stops so he also stops, Magnus is staring at him so he also stares back. "She does have a nice ass", Magnus answers and Alec, so surprised at the blatant response, nearly chokes on his own breath, his eyes, mask by the dark is suddenly becoming fierce and once again resentful when Magnus adds, "It's nice but yours is one hundred percent nicer".

Crocodiles and snakes,

Swampy floodplains and carnivorous fish,

And Alec is more worried about the worth of his ass to Magnus.

In the dim of moonlight, the grin on him is like lingerie, the type that's made of silk and ribbons and dyed in crimson red so it takes him a while to recover from the nice and plummy ass attack but when he finally does recover he asks, "Do you really not remember me?"

Magnus stops again, turns around again and looks at him again, "I get the feeling there's a story and I'm about to regret forgetting".

Alec shakes his head, disappointed but not surprised.

.

Four years ago.

"Mr. Bane, how does it feel diving in the world's seventh deepest harbour?" Alec, fresh out of university asked at question time.

Magnus looked over at him, saw the beauty in the mob of drab and replied, "Highly polluted. Unless conservation is done and done fast, then I'm a afraid all the aquatic flora and fauna will disappear", but while he answered professionally, his eyes were full on Alec, so much so that Alec felt his skin tingling and his heart bouncing. "Any other question?" Magnus asked, his eyes glinting.

"No, that's it", Alec answered but not long after he spotted Magnus walking along the corridor and with long legs caught up to him, inhaled deeply to catch his breath and get his bearing then asked, "That bird that stole your bacon, do you sometimes think about him?"

" _She_ ", Magnus answered, with a lil smile, "It's not a _he_ , it's a _she_ ".

"And how do you know that?" Alec persisted, for some reason, he wasn't about to forfeit.

"Because I'm an expert on the sexes", Magnus replied, the smile on him showing his pride.

Though tame, Alec scoffed, "I bet you are".

Magnus was still looking him up and down, his lip curling into a smile, "Don't tell me the most interesting info you got from my presentation is a garling bird committing theft?"

Alec shrugged, "Well everything else you have already explained and whatever else will be written about in your report so why bother asking".

Those days, Alec was not only young but bold, and though he didn't out himself to Magnus, he couldn't get over this man who showed up with painted crimson nails, glitter eye-shadow on a body perfectly fitted in a perfectly tailored suit. The fantasy before him was even more magical than he'd imagined him to be from the academic papers he'd read in prep for this seminar. He looked at Magnus not saying a word but his eyes were surely boisterous.

Magnus was doing the same, "And how can you be so sure?"

"I know your style", Alec answered, feeling proud that just maybe he had the upper hand, "I've already read all your other reports".

Wetting his lips and coaxing a smile, Magnus asked, "Tell me, are you much of a beer drinker?"

Alec hated beer but- "It's my middle name".

Magnus smiled, "Then it seems I'm in luck", his eyes fastened on Alec, like he was warming up to an idea of them, "I know this nice little bar not too far from here, want to grab a drink or two?"

"Yes, sounds like a dat-"

"Magnus!" a woman called from behind, "I've been looking all over for you".

Magnus turned to her, "I bet you were".

Pulling him away by the arm, their elbows locked like a charm, she told him, "Something urgent has come up".

"What could be so urgent?", Magnus sighed, as he was being led away.

"I'll tell you on the way... the Director wants to speak with you".

"Argh! He just wants to talk and I'm tired of talking", Magnus frowned, he then looked over his shoulder at Alec apologetically, "Rain check?"

Alec nodded, a tight smile on him as he watched Magnus being dragged away by a woman looking too close for them to just be simply friends.

Did he get it wrong and Magnus didn't bat for his team?

But he was practically invited out on a date so—

Or maybe he was reading too much into Magnus's invitation, though none of that mattered since the next time they met was when Magnus started working at the same conservation as him in Brooklyn... years had passed and Magnus didn't seem to remember him.

.

Now along the Orinoco,

Stuck with Magnus after getting washed away by a gush of water, Alec asks the same question, "So I guess you never think about that bird that stole your bacon, huh?"

Magnus smiles but it's a bit regretful as he replies, "I remember the bacon but not the bird".

Alec raises an eyebrow not quite understanding, "And why not both?"

Pushing shrubs out of the way and shining the LED light ahead for both of them to see, Magnus answers, "It's what that got taken away that's the most important", he says, "As in, if it weren't the bird then it could've been a cat or a mice or it could've simply just fallen from my hand and on the ground... point is, I would still end up losing it".

Alec shines his own light on him, and even stops in his track, "That time, did something happen?"

Magnus makes a thinking sound as if deliberating... after all, the last time he tried telling someone of his past, he told him he's too short-lived and ran. "It's been years, Alexander, many things have happened".

Alec walks and catches up, "Like what?"

Magnus laughs, a low chuckle then says, "Like all this time I thought you were this good looking stuck-up pretty boy but as it turns out, you're in fact a sexually suppressed pretty gay boy just waiting to be dug up".

"You think?" Alec laughs, knowing full well Magnus is ditching his question but he understands somewhat and so doesn't persist, "Oh that reminds me..."

"Ooh?" Magnus looks at him amused.

"Who was that women who stole you away that day?"

Magnus smiles so bright that even in the dim of the night, Alec not only can see it but hear it too and from that, Alec can tell his next spoken words were to be nothing but fondness, "A very important soul".

Alec feels a pang in his chest, but at the same time he knows he has no right to feel hurt, "So what was so important that day that we had to cancel our date?"

Magnus's steps slow and without facing Alec, he replies, "My mum died", an abrupt giggle formed in the back of his throat ends in a sigh and it pulls pity, "And then after that, death followed me everywhere".

Alec is so dumbstruck that he doesn't dare say anything. Instead, for the next few minutes he just quietly follows behind Magnus, his mind more lost than he physically is. On one hand, he wants to comfort Magnus but on the other hand, what right does he have? And what weight does his words of so-called comfort have? All this time he's been pinning Magnus as this flirtatious wretch but it turns out the man is more human and more pained than he'd ever imagined and really, all Alec wants to do in this desolate moment is to just cling to Magnus from behind and hug him tight and use the darkness to shed tears.

"But for what it's worth", Magnus interrupts his thoughts, "I'm a one sex at a time sort of guy".

Alec quirks an eyebrow much amused as confused, "Which means?"

Magnus turns to him and grins and it's light and pure this time, "Which means, since our lil moment of office sex, your ass has been the most magical... almost as magical as mine", he laughs.

Alec feels hot and dizzy, so many questions to ask but at the same time he just wants to bask in this second chance nature has somehow given him. He doesn't say anything, just following behind Magnus in silent steps, continuing north, trekking through marshes along tributaries though all the while, Alec can't stop wondering if Magnus is made from a shard of star when suddenly Magnus goes,"Fuck!"

"Here? Right now?" Alec stops, eyes widely amused but also puzzled, a smirk on his lips because he's so ready to drop his pants and Tarzan the shit out of Magnus but—

"Alexander, whatever you do, don't move".

From the firmness in Magnus's voice, Alec slowly turns his head in the direction Magnus is looking and his breath catches in his throat as they stand face to face with an army of something stomping their feet in unison in the mud and also in unison, are dozens of yellow eyes seemingly floating four to five feet tall and are staring right at them.

No mistake, there will be blood.

_\---_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_


	10. Alec is broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out in the jungle Magnus is afraid of clothes and Alec has got the hots for him... perhaps a bit of pun intended.

Or not.

.

Raising his light higher to better survey the area in which the stomping is coming from, in unison, dozens of yellow eyes floating four to five feet tall look up at him. Magnus actually lifts a foot to step back when halfway, he notices pink. Alec, even though told not to move steps forward, his light further brightening the area and Magnus's eyes widen, shock catches in his throat.

"Aren't those just... flamingos?" Alec takes yet another step, then turning to Magnus in a whisper, "Are the ones living in the Orinoco supposed to be dangerous?"

Relieved that it's only a pat of pink hungry and horny birds out to scare them, Magnus breaks into a smile, "I hope not".

"So you're afraid of fish and now you're afraid of birds", Alec teases.

Magnus now laughs, low and endearing, "Add acid washed jeans to the list and you'll have a winner".

Alec looks at him appalled and even in the dim lighting, his eyes rave more colours than the solar system. "I might have to re-evaluate a few things about you, Mr. Bane".

"Like what?" Magnus asks, a smile near audible as he slowly walks closer to the pat of flamingos that have gone back to their stomping.

Alec's silence is almost tangible before he breaks it asking, "Did you see that video of some flamingos doing a night aquarium tour?"

Magnus actually chuckles, his eyes twinkling and his lips looking tasty even as he laughs both at Alec's perfect hopscotching at his question and at, the image of flamingos doing an aquarium tour, "Can't say I have".

"Yeah, it was just before we went on our...", and Alec pauses, searching for words as though flipping through thesaurus for the most appropriate term, "... our aquarium date", and even then, the way he says _date_ makes it clear that he's seeking some confirmation that it was exactly that, _a date_.

Magnus is alert but he also loves to tease, "Are you sure you weren't just overly excited and imagined all that?"

"Maybe", Alec answers, not even playing, his head slightly turning to get a better look at Magnus, "So it wasn't a date?"

Magnus also turns to better face him for it seems... perhaps it's the new scenery and fresh air but, it seems he's growing a mountain of fondness with the way Alec tends to shy away at times but is also bold and forceful leaving Magnus no place to hide. "It was", Magnus answers at last, meeting Alec face to face.

"Thought so", Alec breathes out, a smile glistening on his lips, "But it didn't make up for the date from that time".

"That time?"

"Yes, _that time_ ", Alec sighs and it's clearly one of frustration and disappointment, "That time of the bird and the bacon".

Magnus laughs and it's both teasing and apologetic, "You really don't let anything go, do you?"

"I do but this one I don't want to", Alec tells him, a genuine grin prominent in the raise of his cheeks. "Though, I suppose it's because in my past life I was a flamingo".

Alec says that and like lost time, silence seems to blow between them until in a trickle, a chuckle louder than Magnus intends, escapes his throat, "Then does that mean it's your snack time now?"

Eyebrows in a furrow Alec asks, "I love how you're running with the insanity but you're clearly running at a higher level than me".

Still laughing, Magnus nods over at the Flamingos. "Flamingos like to snack at night", Magnus tells him, "Which is why they were stomping around earlier to bring their snack closer to the surface of the water", and as he speaks he's looking at the sky that has finally been painted bluish silver, "And they do so especially on moonlit evenings and judging by their number, I would say it's already about eight o'clock."

Following Magnus's gaze into the night sky full of stars and all his hopes, Alec adds, "Yeah, they also hunt for a mate", easing his body weight on his left heel, his eyes now glistening at the fairy tale of pink feathers before them, "I mean, I just told you, I was once a flamingo", he smiles, wide and radiant and dreadfully sexy with the way a lock of hair rests on his forehead and stays in place by his sweat.

Magnus quirks an eyebrow and adds a smirk, "So you're saying you once saw your Prince Charming and wooed him with your dancing?"

"Almost", Alec smiles and at first, it's fresh and vibrant until a cloud shifts and reveals on his face the unhappy end to a story not yet fully told, "It would be good if each one of them can find that one mate to have for a lifetime".

Magnus, though distracted by the carnival of dancing flamingos, doesn't miss the melancholy in Alec's voice, "You say that as though they're going to a funeral".

Alec nods, a sigh, laden with angst lines the creases of his mouth, "So when are you going to dance for me?"

Magnus pauses, looks at him and tries to read him well, "I can and would but it all only has meaning if you choose me".

Alec nods, contemplating. It's really like a game of hide and seek, except, between them neither is sure who is hiding and who's seeking.

"By the way, why are you sweating so much?" Magnus asks, a crinkle in his forehead as he takes a closer look at the way Alec's whole face is glistening.

Alec wipes away the sweat, "You must be too hot for me", he winks, the lobe of his ears turning pink as he shies away at his own bravery.

Magnus touches him and feels goosebumps under his fingertips, "And you're shivering".

Alec finally acquiesced, "Maybe because I've waited years for a kiss".

Magnus raises an eyebrow and steps even closer, his brows now knitted, "All our past kisses would be sad hearing you disregard them like that".

Alec smiles, his head slightly falling back and that's when Magnus sees the way Alec's eyes ease in and out of a daze, "I feel like my head's in the clouds", Alec staggers a bit.

Magnus smiles, flattered even, "Alexander, are you literally falling for me?" 

An upward twitch of Alec's lips forms, "I'm not one for poetry", he says, trying to regain his composure, "but that does sound poetic", and Magnus can't deny the thumping sound coming from his heart and drumming in his ears. Looking at him with skin wet and glistening all the more, Alec says, "I want to hug you but my hands have suddenly become really heavy".

Magnus licks his lips and smirks, loving this game of seduction Alec is cunningly playing so he leans in while keeping eye contact and just so, in minuscule careful moves he fastens his lips right where they yearn to be... a kiss, but just as fast as if struck by lightening, Magnus jumps back, his eyes wide and his lips trembling, "Alexander, you... you're on fire".

"I'm glad you find so", Alec smiles but this time, it's like a smile caught in a swirl, even his voice is wobbly like drunken feet trying to find their bearing the more he speaks, "Maybe I've got the hots for you".

"Or maybe you have a terrible fever", Magnus scolds, frantically pressing his hands to Alec's forehead and neck, "Since when have you been burning up?"

"Since—" Alec staggers again, "Since a second ago".

"Nonsense", Magnus catches him, his eyes fixed, worried but also reprimanding, "Are you in pain anywhere?"

"Now that you mention it", Alec drops his gaze, "I feel like something is ripping through my right leg".

Immediately, holding the light and inspecting Alec's leg, Magnus rages all the more in a perfect blend of worry and anger, "It's completely black and blue, you big dumb dumb".

Alec giggles giddy and drunken, "How can I be happy and blue at the same time?"

Really,

Magnus wants to smack him.

Instead, he pulls up Alec's pants and traces the swelling with his fingers and his breath nearly leaves him, "Broken... it's definitely broken". 

"So that explains it", Alec groans, the muscles in his face tightening as his brain finally catches up to the pain.

"Why didn't you say something?" Magnus asks, carefully running his fingers along the injury.

Shaking his head as though fighting off the pain that seems to be getting more and more severe, Alec nods while saying, "I didn't notice... I forgot."

"How could you have forgotten something as important as this?" Magnus snaps, voice raised and he's frantically checking the rest of Alec's body. When he didn't find any other injury, he carefully leads Alec to an open area away from the swampier part of the plain when out of nowhere Alec answers,

"I forgot because I was happy to see you", streams of sweat seeping from his hairline and running all the way down his neck.

Far too touched by Alec's open honesty, Magnus shakes his head, tucks away his anger and whispers, "You really are a giant dumb dumb".

Yes,

For as it were,

Alec getting sick is like the trickling of water that suddenly burst in a KABOOM with pores of sweat-beads popping bigger on his forehead and bursting like dams down his neck and flowing down his chest... despite the sweet talks, the flirting and, a short trip down memory lane, a part of Alec still wishes to hate Magnus... that way, he would be saved from any future pain in that, he could keep his whole heart as he'd always intended and though it would be lonely and a little sad, at least it wouldn't be so badly broken that he might want to drag it out of his chest and burn it like a Salem witch possessed.

Looking Magnus long and hard in the eye, Alec nods, "Yes, I'm a giant dumb dumb".

"Yes, you are", Magnus repeats, while looking through his bag for anything useful to break the fever or at least numb the pain.

Using all his strength to sit upright and at an angle at which he can easily and most comfortably see Magnus, Alec tells him, "Yes, I'm a giant dumb dumb! I like you but I hate that I do and even if I were a flamingo in my past life, in this life I'm not some pink aquatic bird that dances so in the end, I still can't impress you which means, the same way you only remember your bacon being stolen but not the bird that stole it, all you'll remember is that I'm not a real flamingo... I'm just a giant dumb dumb who's so in love with you that even though I broke my fucking leg I didn't notice because I was too happy to see you and now I'm legless and featherless and you won't love me back because I'm neither pink nor can I dance to woo you and you're scared of fish and birds and fucking acid washed jeans that literally no one wears anymore so—"

For some reason, tears stream only from the corner of Alec's right eye and Magnus shivers and wipes his own forehead and in the same breath, are hiccups borne from warmth that out of nowhere, skids across his skin and maneuvers itself all the way up his neck then suddenly, he too, starts to break out in sweat.

"Alexander, flamingos are not aquatic."

Really,

_\---_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, thank you lots for reading and letting me know your thoughts ;)))


	11. Magnus can't save Alec

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec plays sleeping beauty while Magnus plays bush doctor.

Alec wakes up with Magnus licking him with lips sweeter than honey.

"Yes, it's actual honey", Magnus smiles at him relieved, "And you're finally awake", he wipes away a trail of saliva mixed with honey running down the side of Alec's mouth, "How do you feel?"

Alec swallows the sweetness and tries to move but his body is still feeling a bit heavy, "I am not so hot anymore".

Taking keen note of Alec's every expression, Magnus nods, "And the pain?"

Flexing his leg, Alec answers, "It's still there but not as severe as before".

The sigh of relief Magnus gives sends a cool breeze scampering across Alec's forehead and as he leans over to check Alec's temperature, his breath smells like wildflowers and his sweaty skin, a bit woody, "They seem to be working". 

"What is?" Alec asks, inhaling fully, wanting to pull in a whole lung full of the sweet wildness Magnus is oozing with.

"The honey kisses I gave you", Magnus smiles, damping away whatever sweat remains and pressing the back of his hand to Alec's cheeks and neck.

Alec returns the smile. It's still dazed and weak but it's genuine, "So when is my next dosage?"

Magnus sits back in a relaxed form, a gentle pull at both corners of his mouth.

Truth is,

After Alec's heart threw a tantrum and hung itself dry with all his feelings, he soon passed out.

Frightened, Magnus rushed to check his pulse and caught his breath as soon as he felt rhythmic heartbeats. However, he didn't waste time and at once emptied the content of his bag, silently thanking the gods that he'd studied traditional medicine during his time in Indonesia. Though, unfortunately, because this field visit in the afternoon was supposed to have been a quick in and out, Magnus hadn't accounted to be trapped as they are now and so, he didn't pack much in his bag. He did however, find a bottle of few ounces of taheebo pau d’arco tincture still in its curing stage. Opening the bottle and taking a sniff, Magnus could tell that although the tincture hadn't yet reached its full potential, it could at least stop the infection and by extension, also take care of the fever. After applying the tincture to Alec's wound and making sure he was rested in a comfortable position, looking up to the sky Magnus was grateful that the moon was on their side, shining down and not long after, he spots familiar flowers. Looking back down at Alec to make sure he was OK, Magnus then takes his light and flower by flower, stem by stem, both hands full, he sucked them dry of honey... and just as he sucked the sweetness from the flowers, in the same gentle breath with this own tongue he dripped the honey betwixt Alec's lips— and that's when Alec slowly pulled himself out of sleep. 

Magnus smiles, if Alec can still flirt then the honey and tincture must be working. "Do you know where you are?" 

"Of course", Alec answers, his eyes not leaving Magnus, "I'm next to you".

"That's right", Magnus laughs, still sitting with his legs crossed, still giving all his attention to Alec, "How do you feel?" 

"You asked me that a few seconds ago", Alec looks at Magnus with a satisfying grin, "Unless... how should I feel?" 

Magnus nods, a bit deep in thought, his eyes resting on Alec as he replays Alec's confession. He then inhales, concluding that his answer can never be a simple _yes_ or _no_. 

Truth is,

over the years there has always been this shadow.

A lingering memory that Magnus could never put his finger on.

The figure was tall. The smile was bright. But Magnus was too burden by life to refine the memory from a much simpler and happier past.

Circumstances pressed and in time, he forgot the shadow and mirage altogether.

Though the second he saw Alec on his first day of work at the nature conservatory, something stirred but he shook it off thinking that it was just a matter of Alec physically being his type... though all that attraction got smashed when found Alec boring, not to mention he got the feeling Alec hated him... so in truth, Magnus didn't lie per se when he said he didn't remember the bird that stole his bacon... he remembers it being a garling bird and it being female but that's so generic that it could be any bird which meant, the crime itself was more impactful.

"What was your first love like?" he asks, hugging his leg, resting his chin on his knee at he looks over at Alec.

Though surprised by the suddenness, Alec honestly answers, "A mistake".

Magnus smiles at him, "Lucky you", then shifting to pack the remaining bandage and tincture into his bag, "Sounds like you had a normal first love".

Alec looks at him with both eyes echoing his next question, "And what first love isn't normal?"

Magnus makes a thinking sound, "My first love was perfect", he says, "He understood me and accepted me without complaint", and then the smile on him turns bitter, "We were happy".

And like being pricked with a hundred needles all at once, Alec feels a tightening in his chest he has to cough to clear the air as he asks, "Then, does this mean you're still together?"

"The operative word here is, _were..._ ", Magnus looks at him and smiles before shifting his whole face to the sky and the lonely stars in bundles, "It wasn't long before I met you that he died".

Alec feels his chest tightening again but at a different, a more awkward intensity, "I'm sorry".

"Thanks", Magnus looks at him and the smile he wears covers like a dark veil, his voice sounding bitter as he says, "He died and left a curse".

Trying his best to sit upright and adjust, Alec carefully asks, "What curse?"

Looking back at Alec with a dry helpless smile, Magnus tells him, "I can't seem to love in full again".

Alec coughs, the air in his chest is starting to feel too heavy so he pushes himself to sit upright, "So you haven't been in another relationship since then?"

"Oh I have", Magnus answers, helping Alec sit up, "And I've also loved again".

Alec is speechless, not sure if he's following, "Then what's the problem?"

"No two love is ever the same, Alexander", Magnus tells him, "Even with a broken heart I gathered the pieces and tried my best to love whole again but it was faulty, the cracks were visible. I loved but found out that the love I gave wasn't enough- be it man or woman I could never get it to work out, no matter how hard I tried to make each one as special as the first, it was still never enough and time and time again, I ended up getting left behind".

Alec nods as he listens, getting the gist of things as he tries to put the puzzle pieces in a fit, "So you've given up and that's why you now treat everyone the same?"

Magnus doesn't say yes nor no but looks past Alec into the distance before fixing his eyes to the sky, pauses a while then says, "I'm going to tell you a very long and pointless story... it's long and pointless but I'm going to tell it to you anyway".

"Okay..."

"I lost my first love to death, and then I also lost my mother to death and while healing in my own way, the next love I found left me saying cocktails and patio dances were good but she couldn't bear being tied to me for a lifetime... then the love I found after her called me ephemeral and left". 

Alec listens, not wanting to say anything in fear of saying the wrong thing so Magnus, with eyes apologetic and seemingly on the verge of crying tells him, "I forgot the bird because the only thing I can clearly remember that day and around that time is that phone call telling me my mother had died... so of course, everything from back then is a painful reminder of what I've lost... I've lost so much and never gained it back... love, love in no form has found me again... not with Dot, not with Imasu and...", looking up at Alec and holding his gaze as direct and intense as can be, "You say you love me and I have no problem loving you but you have to know that even now, I'm trapped in this fumbling state unable to find my footing because I still can't find the love that's meant for me and me alone."

Alec's fever is down and he's no longer sweating profusely but his eyes are still languid though they stare at Magnus powerfully as he say, "That's because you're looking for love in the wrong place".

Alec's response catches Magnus by surprise and he smiles, a smile that then breaks into a soft chuckle as he flits away from Alec and towards where the flamingos were stomping about for a mate earlier, "And where exactly is the right place?" 

Alec points at himself, "Staring at you".

A soft trail of laughter whistles through the wind as Magnus gets on his knees, "Are you saying you think you're the perfect garden for me to plant my heart?"

"That's exactly what I am saying", Alec answers with a smile, "All this time I've been mulching in wait and, I'll water you every day until you bloom".

Magnus quirks an eyebrow and chuckles, "And what happens after I bloom?"

"Then, I'll nourish you with love for sunshine and water you with care for nourishment until you bloom again".

Magnus laughs out loud, the heartiness of it echoing in the forest, "You might be a flamingo with two left feet but you sure as hell dance well with your words".

Alec laughs wide and free but then it all dribbles out with him coughing, "It's coming back".

"What is?"

"The pain."

Visibly worried, Magnus fusses about in his bag again and hisses, "I have nothing more to numb it."

"I wouldn't say that", Alec huffs and puffs.

"Meaning?"

With a smile tucked away in the crinkle of his eyes Alec answers, "Perhaps it's time for another dose of honey kisses, wouldn't you say?" Feeling hot again, Alec can't tell if the heat is from another bout of oncoming fever or just simply the heat of his heart working overtime, but he's sure he's about to pass out again so, he shuffles and steadies himself, "Magnus..." he calls, motioning with his fingers for Magnus to come even closer, "I want you to kiss me".

Still on his knees, at first, Magnus hesitates but when the moon drops in Alec's eyes, Magnus caresses Alec's whole head and in a heartbeat, he showers Alec with wildflower kisses, kisses more sincere than he can remember ever giving, kisses that only Alec can get and even though his hands are too weak to embrace the man he loves fully; the strength, heat and possessiveness in his kiss slowly liberates Magnus. 

"Alexander," Magnus whispers, near breathless in Alec's ear, "Make me a promise".

Still dazed but highly satisfied, Alec answers, "Sure... never mind I'm the one possibly dying yet it's you who needs reassuring", he teases.

Magnus smiles but the stench of sadness is stifling, "When all this is over, without the fear of mosquitoes and the distraction of horny dancing flamingos and you in pain and suffering from a fever while we're stuck out here until heaven knows when, when we get out, please allow me to properly and undistracted-ly tell you how much I've come to love and adore you fully".

Alec doesn't say anything so Magnus relaxes his hug, eases back and looks down to find Alec's eyes closed, a dancing smile on his lips and water flowing from his eyes... Magnus thought it sweet, the heart he's buried is drumming hard in his chest and he feels like dancing when out of nowhere water droplets start to plop all over them and by the time Magnus takes notice of what's happening, the sky opens up and the rains start to pour as thunder and lightening battle somewhere over there.

It then clicks to Magnus that they're in the middle of the rainy season and are now stuck on the floodplain of the world's third biggest river with Alec passed out and much too heavy for Magnus to carry. Instantly breaking out in cold sweat, Magnus dreads that any time soon, the already soggy earth below them will give way and—

"Fuck!" he shouts, looking around him while shielding Alec from the rain with his body, "Where the fuck is Lorenzo when you need him?"

_\---_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for still reading and letting me know what you think 😋


	12. The Flamingo Can Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Alec woke up, his leg was useless and Magnus's arm crushed.  
> In the end, they strategised a way to have sex with the windows wide open while the door bell is ringing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know the final chapter just suddenly appeared but it's time for final judgement *smirks*  
> I hope you'll have a good read XD

"Mr Lightwood, you and Bane just can't decide to elope in the middle of the jungle," Lorenzo looks over at him, the doctor had just left.

Alec groans, looking around trying his best to orient himself but, when his eyes land on Magnus he steadies them on him and wouldn't shift.

"Ignore him", Magnus tells him, also leaning over, brushing the back of his hands against Alec's forehead, "How are you feeling?"

Alec tries to say something but when the words wouldn't come out, he coughs to clear the air then says, "I feel like even if you feed me to the crocodiles, I wouldn't feel their bites".

Magnus nods, a sympathetic smile tugging at his lips, "It's the anesthesia," he tells him, further setting Alec's head properly on the pillow, "It will wear off soon", he looks down at Alec's foot, "Your leg is all fixed now".

"That's good news," Alec groans, "Back then it felt like firecrackers were going off between my joints".

"Is that why you passed out?" Magnus asks, his fingers locked betwixt Alec's and he doesn't even seem to realise.

Alec notices though but he doesn't say a thing. Finally making sense of where they are he asks, "By the way, how did—"

"We make it out of the jungle?" Magnus finishes the sentence, "For once Ranger Lorenzo pulled through".

"I see", Alec answers, trying to sit himself up and it isn't until Magnus tries to help him that he finally notices Magnus's hand in a sling, "What happened to you?"

Magnus smiles but it's apologetic yet pinned with embarrassment, "The trees attacked me".

.

Last night, when the heavens opened up, it was like a tale of Zeus and Oya fighting each other .

Lightening ripped the sky apart and thunder rolled angered. Carrying the unconscious Alec over his shoulder, Magnus dragged them both through the mud, trying the best he could to make his way to safer grounds but the rain dropped and the wind howled and over tangled leaves and mud he slipped and stumbled and was running out of breath... he'd just gotten to what seemed a broad enough canopy to take shelter under when out of nowhere, a branch too heavy for its tree fell and with only thinking of protecting Alec, Magnus put out his hand to block it and ended up taking the full brunt of the hit instead, groaning when he actually heard his own bones snap... wincing only momentarily before checking to make sure Alec was safe. 

Well, Alec was safe as could be at the moment but the rain wasn't holding up and Magnus's left hand was useless. He was starting to sweat in the cold rain so much so that he could taste the salt running into his mouth as well as his pace slowing as the foliage became thicker and the water level rose... Alec had also started to feel heavier from the rain soaking his clothes and while Magnus tried to ignore the pain, the more he did, the more the pain reminded him of his doom. Stopping momentarily, he eased Alec against a tree trunk then carefully slung his bag off him and with his good hand, he rummaged through what's left of his first aid kit but soon sighed for there was barely anything left... no bandages and he couldn't even use the rest of the tincture with the rain pouring down like it was.

From the stinging brought on from the rain water seeping in, Magnus could tell his arm also had cuts and bruises and was also bleeding. However, being that the whole roll of bandage was on Alec's leg, there was only one thing left for Magnus to do and so, with one end held between his teeth and the other in his strong right arm, he ripped his own shirt in strips and in no time, he wrapped his arm as tight as he could, laughing bitterly at the whole ridiculousness of the situation.

"Lucky thing I never missed a dental check up", he chuckled at his own helplessness, his own blood metallic in his mouth as his lips and his right hand made contact. Looking around him, Magnus sighed, maybe they should just give up... after all, it's stupid trying to make it upstream in the middle of a torrential downpour and going downstream was more dangerous... besides, with how much pain he was in, he wanted to simply rip his whole left shoulder off and fling it away... not to mention—

For some reason, he spotted fireflies.. but what were fireflies doing the in the middle of a storm?

Magnus wanted to take a closer look... actually, he wanted to keep his eyes open just a bit longer to watch the light of the fireflies get bigger and bigger as they surround them and when the fireflies came into view with their blinding lights, Magnus smiled and kicked out his feet mumbling, "What took you so long?" before passing out.

.

"I rescued you both", Lorenzo boasts, his arms folded across his chest. "Though in all seriousness, it's a good thing we found you when we did because not so long ago we got word that the entire area got flooded", he sighs in relief. "Maybe in an alternative world you two saved an entire race or even an entire country."

Any other time, Magnus would've sent a retort Lorenzo's way but the proof in his nonsense is very clear for as much as he hated Lorenzo for how much he deliberately annoys him, he and Alec were indeed rescued by him and for that, Magnus is grateful... besides, the light had started to come back to Alec's eyes and his cheeks were no longer rigged with a drunken, delirious smile.

"How did you manage getting your hand broken?" Alec finally asks, "Did you fall again?"

Wanting to keep both the secret and embarrassment of how much he slid down rocks and rolled down rapids in chase of Alec and how got his hand broken trying to save him, Magnus flushes, coming to the conclusion that when it comes to Alec, he loses rational thoughts and acts only on instinct and this very thought makes him shiver even as he answers, "Yes, I did. I fell".

Alec smiles, "I didn't take you for the clumsy type".

And Magnus smiles too, "yeah these days, for reason that has now become clear, I haven't been myself".

Quirking an eyebrow Alec's smile morphs into a grin, "And whatever could that reason be?"

"It's disgusting seeing you two flirt so shamelessly in front of me", Lorenzo sighs, "Can't you wait until you get back to New York?"

"We're leaving already?" Alec asks, eyes wide in shock and disappointment.

"Well yeah," Magnus points to Alec's leg, "You wont' be able to do anything for at least another month and as for me, as strong as I am, my hand won't heal any time soon so it's best we return".

Alec sighs and flops back into the bed, groaning, "But I still haven't see the Orinoco crocodile".

"Too bad", Lorenzo intervenes, "Next time, try not being so clumsy. It was really bothersome searching for you".

Alec turns to Lorenzo, smiles and tells him, "Thank you".

.

"Do you know how flamingos have sex?" Alec asks Jace, they're watching some random shit on TV.

Jace makes a thinking sound, "Like chickens?"

Alec hums deep in thought, "Then how about a flamingo and a penguin?"

With eyes wide Jace stares blankly at him and answers, "I have no fucking idea".

"So ask google?"

"Yes, ask google".

"Good idea," Alec grins, "I'll go ask Izzy".

They're back in Brooklyn. 

It's been about two weeks now since they've been back. Alec is still on sick leave and Jace is visiting him.

"By the way, Alec, how do you survive in this heat?"

Looking up at the air conditioner, Alec groans then answers, "I accept my fate".

"Your fate to melt like butter?"

"Something like that", Alec answers, damping his forehead with a handkerchief, "Melted butter is always good".

"Yeah..." Jace grabs his things to go, "But like everything in life, there's always an exception meaning, us melting like butter can't be good".

A few days later while on their lunch break, Simon asks, "Should we pay them a visit?"

"Alec wouldn't like that" Isabelle shakes her head.

"And why wouldn't he?" Jace asks, now joining them at the table.

Eyes wide in surprise of Jace's daftness, Isabelle asks him, "Do you ever think?"

Just then, Camille flounders over to their table, "Where's Magnus? I've been trying to contact him ever since he got back".

Isabelle sighs, rolls her eyes and before her brain could catch up she answers, "Probably dicking down Alec as we speak".

.

And Isabelle is probably right.

Visiting Alec at that time would've been a bad decision, a terrible decision. The only person Alec wants to see is Magnus and after days, Magnus does show up at Alec's doorstep carrying his best flower smile and strongest of feelings.

"So you finally invited me over", Magnus says upon Alec opening the door and letting him in.

"I didn't", Alec smirks, "You came all on your own". 

Magnus raises an eyebrow, "So should I leave?"

"You can if you want me to break your other arm", Alec answers with a grin.

And Magnus smiles, "Is that any way to tell me you missed and love me?"

Taking in Magnus in all his closeness and glory, Alec then asks, "Isn't there anything you want to tell me?"

Magnus makes a thinking noise, "Now that you mention it, the cab I took stinks of fart".

Alec soon bursts into laughter, his eyes on Magnus as he says, "So that explains your peculiar perfume today", he laughs and laughs and laughs some more until he can no more then asks very earnestly, "Magnus, how much do you like me?"

Magnus straightens himself and tell him, "Clearly enough to be boiling in this apartment with you. Isn't your air conditioner working?"

Alec ignores him and just hops over to Magnus and hugs him tight, "I should've hunted you down that very second I fell in love with you".

"And your air conditioner?" Magnus insists while nuzzling his whole face in the crease of Alec's neck, while hugging him.

"Broken", Alec replies, "And so will my heart if you don't tell me how much you love me".

Magnus gasps, his heart beating as though it's about to jump through his ear holes, "Alexander... " he calls, "Alexander, you're years younger than me and you're boring. You're good looking and sexy but you lack spontaneity and humour. Quite frankly, you're boring and so it's beyond me why you consider yourself a flamingo because you're nowhere near as flamboyant and you yourself said it, you have two left feet", he goes on a mini rant, frankness gleaming in his eyes but then his lips start to curve and fondness starts to unfurl and warmth gradually colours his face. "But I was wrong and I learnt it the painful way. You're younger than me but your heart is mature... you're good looking and sexy and your spontaneity comes from your curiosity and the way how, once your heart decides, nothing can stop you from pouring your feelings like milk into cereal", and they both laugh, Magnus taking Alec's hands and pressing a kiss into each... "And while it's true that you probably can't dance because you have two left feet, you've grown so flamboyant in my heart so much so that I think of you and my head is full of flowers... I look at you and my heart grows a garden and in the same way that damn garling bird stole my bacon, you stole my heart and guess what?"

Alec holds his breath, "What...?"

"I don't even want it back... you can keep the damn heart and you better love it well because from today, I only want to make love to you and only with you".

Alec smiles... no, he grins, exhaling loudly before leaning his crutch against the wall and taking Magnus's hands, "I want to fertilise this moment and me and you", he says, bringing Magnus's face to his and inhaling the sandalwood lifting off Magnus's skin, "Magnus Bane... I want you to kiss me and don't stop until I'm breathless".

"Please don't make me a murderer", Magnus sighs, allowing himself to be pushed towards to the bedroom, "and Alexander, your leg is still injured".

"Yeah..." Alec smirks, "But my dick isn't".

Magnus laughs, "Well my arm is still broken".

"Yeah, but your ass isn't".

And just so,

Alec falls on his bed and pulls Magnus down with him.

"Hey, careful", Magnus cautions, quickly checking Alec's face for any pain from impact, "Don't be so reckless".

"I'm not reckless", Alec answers, licking his lips, "I'm horny".

Magnus's face breaks into a grin for he too, is feeling giddy so before leaning down and kissing Alec like he's the Blue Nile and Alec, the White Nile uniting in history's longest kiss, the midday breeze that steals through the window doesn't do much to cool them down but somehow, something about it is daring as well as nostalgic and Magnus smiles, leaning down and taking Alec's lips betwixt his own and just so, like kisses are about to run out, he gives his all to Alec... wrapping his arms around Alec's neck and kissing him long and hard as though making up for lost years and while Alec wiggles below him in heat and amor, Magnus whispers, "I love you, Alexander".

Alec explodes.

The four words he'd been wanting to hear come dropping on him like blessed rained and he wants to cry but also celebrate.

In the end, he teases, "Oh, you do?"

There has never been a wider smile on Magnus before, "Yes, I do".

The unexpected confession makes Alec want to dance and he's sure that even with a broken leg he could dance prettier than a flamingo and that penguin in Happy Feet but he knows he'd be stopped so instead, he smiles longingly at the man he's loved for years and demands again, "Magnus Bane, I say to kiss me and don't stop".

With a smile that feels at home, Magnus leans down and in the softest voice whispers, "Don't blame me if I really can't stop".

In no time,

Alec removes Magnus's shirt and Magnus removes Alec's trousers... with a broken arm on one and a broken leg on the other, half and half they lie naked on each other finding the whole situation endearing and hilarious.

"Who rides first?" Alec asks, the veins in his erection proud and majestic.

Magnus gulps and climbs back on top of Alec, "Let me do the honours".

When Magnus had showed up at Alec's, he had already decided to ride him and so in no time, he's on a staircase to heaven seeing starry skies in bright daylight, trying to remember if his first time with Alec was as sweet and tender as now with Alec's arms wrapped tightly around his waist and holding him in place as he rolls and thrusts and feeds himself. At noon, the heat is unrelenting but like adding spices to meat, it's as if the heat is adding flavour to their fervor as Magnus moans, bracing backward on his hands with his head dropped back and up and down he bounces along the staircase that is Alec's dick and when Alec lets out a long breath then inhales and holds it again, Magnus eases up, leans in and aligns his eyes with Alec's, sweat drops dribbling down his face and even the arms Alec holds around him have become slippery with their sweat so the tighter Alec embraces him, the more he slips... but the chase makes them even hotter and the hotter they become the hornier they get and the sweeter the ride and with a laugh, Magnus covers Alec's mouth with his and kisses the noon out him.

"Magnus..." Alec breathes laboured, "Did you know?"

"Know what?" Magnus inhales kissing him lip by lip then his whole mouth.

"You're also like that garling bird".

Magnus giggles, just how much of a narrative does this damn garling bird have?

"How so?"

Damping kisses along Magnus's neck and down his collarbones, Alec whispers, "You also stole my bacon".

Magnus bursts into laughter, caressing Alec around his neck and again starts kissing him, "My memory might be shit but I'm pretty sure I did not steal your bacon".

Just then, even with a broken leg in healing, Alec manages to flip them over and now he's very naked on top of Magnus who hisses at the sudden loss of heat and pleasure but he soon relaxes into a smile the moment Alec slowly slides down and sit on top of him and now he's feeling a different kind of heat, "My time to ride", Alec grins and he's proud of his capture, "And as I said, you stole my bacon".

It takes a few pumps of ups and down and tightening betwixt legs and buttocks cheeks before Magnus clearly grasps what Alec is saying and when he finally realises, his breath catches then he says to Alec, "You mean to tell me I'm your—"

"That's right," Alec kisses him wholesome and longingly, "You took my sweet sweet innocent butt and dick virginity... well technically I gave them to you but—"

And Magnus grins, feeling himself floating at being given such an honour and with nothing he could say to calm his nerve, he shakes his head and pulls Alec down for kisses to his cheeks and forehead then says, "Alexander, you dance so well".

In the late September breeze Alec's laughter echoes and stains the wind into his happy melancholy. "Well of course...", he leans over, also capturing Magnus's lips as the heat in him builds then majestically spurts all over Magnus's chest, "I'm a flamingo after all".

Really,

If Magnus could see his own face right now, he would be surprised by the love and fondness in his eyes. 

But even without seeing, the heart he'd long buried starts to swim in his chest and butterflies out of nowhere start to flutter in his belly and when his whole being starts to shiver out of control, he pulls Alec down and again fixes his lips to his and kisses him very sweetly, whispering on repeat, "I love you, Alexander... I love you. I love you so much it's like my stupid head has grown a forest of flowers".

Mentally, Alec is hopscotching on clouds that dance.

When they finally return from their high, Magnus kicks the sheet off and sighs, "Alexander, open the window or we'll turn into burnt toasts so burnt that neither butter nor jam can save us."

Reaching up and unlocking the window latch, Alec laughs and summer laughs, refusing to shake hands with autumn as the mid-afternoon breeze filters in and slowly starts to cool them down. "I really need to fix the damn AC", Alec breathes in deeply, fanning Magnus with his hands.

"Or you could just move in".

Alec gasps, shifting his head down to look at Magnus, "You'd like that?"

"Eventually", Magnus smiles, wrapping his feet around Alec's before pressing his lips to the heat of Alec's neck, "For now, let's grow into our flowerpot".

Ecstatic at the unexpected surprise, Alec opens his mouth wide and chomps on Magnus's cheeks and works his way down to Magnus's Adam's apple, "Fine but don't hate me if I eat you before then".

Magnus laughs so much and just when the day seems to revolve only around them, a knock comes at the door.

"Hello, Mr. Lightwood, we're here to fix your air conditioner".

Alec groans.

Back in July when summer was pelting heat and he was loveless he'd called the AC repair company... but now, he's shuffling in bed, kissing the lips he'd dreamt about for years.

"Mr. Lightwood, are you there? Hello?"

Alec grabs Magnus's crotch and grins, "Let's ignore them."

_\---_

_Fix The Damn AC Unit_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND as always, I'm really looking forward to hearing your finals thoughts ! I really am. 
> 
> Thank you for reading this far and good bye :)))


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